Patrice Witherspoon

The film gives good insight into the confusion and fear we may face when exploring our sense of self.

I Wanna Dance with Somebody celebrates the star that captured the hearts of many fans around the world. And through a great performance by Ackie, this film has the ability to do the same, even if it sticks to genre rules.

It may not be the best biopic ever told, but people will certainly walk away from Rustin more educated, inspired to be the change they want to see in the world, and grateful that movies like this are willing to tell the truth about buried history.

Lou is a quiet thriller that takes a deep dive into the consequences of one’s actions. The film enables Janney and Jurnee Smollett to command every scrap of attention through physical and emotionally compelling performances.

Not everything works and the humor tends to run its course, but Gates puts a solid effort together given the limitations.

It doesn’t always capitalize on its strengths, but Don’t Make Me Go is a journey worth taking thanks to fantastic performances from its two leads.

It’s quite familiar, yet impressively sweet. Kilris clearly understands the appeal of Cyprus, her home, and offers us the chance to witness flawed humans go through the intricacies of everyday life.

Evans and Porter deliver heartbreaking performances with the right amount of intensity, leaving a lasting impact.

With sincerity and style, Schrader offers a thoughtful film about life and legacy.

The incomparable Daniel Giménez Cacho stars as Silverio Gama, giving an unforgettable performance that captures the intensity of the film’s concepts. While everything doesn’t always work in Bardo, Iñárritu takes his time painting a visually scrumptious tale even though it’s overly saturated with style over substance.

Where the film lacks realism and sense, it is made up entirely by Hathaway and Galitzine’s sensational chemistry.

Packed with great action sequences and a cast that is committed to each other and the script, Gray's latest is creative and fun enough to hold attention.

The film exceeds expectations with respect to being a Netflix Christmas production, but it is thoughtful and sincere all the same.

Thanks to the special cast chemistry, 80 For Brady’s charm shines through despite being good for only a single watch.

The standouts are certainly more on the technical side, with Elisha Christian’s cinematography, Will Bates’ score, and Mohan’s close-ups. Then, there’s Sweeney, who, without a shadow of a doubt, convinced me of her acting skills thanks to what she was able to accomplish through her emotional and physical performance.

Because of some questionable decisions, the film's key messages aren’t as effective as they could be.

With the exceptional performances from the cast and several laugh-out-loud moments, this creative film is wildly entertaining.

The most interesting and beautiful piece to this puzzle is the fact that Dillane's performance can steer the audience in any direction emotionally and at any given moment.

If nothing else, it's best to walk into Sean Price Williams’ feature debut, The Sweet East, as a satire decorated with light political and human commentary and wild excitement that never lets up.

Love in the Villa may be a silly rom-com at heart, but with Graham and Hopper’s compelling chemistry, leaning into the ridiculousness and unrealistic moments is worth it for these two alone.

It doesn’t break any genre barriers, nor does the film offer anything new to say about these respective topics. However, Tagliavini nicely crafts a Christmas rom-com that is funny and sincere — a feat with which many other holiday romantic comedies have struggled.

This is merely an example of misalignment when it comes to direction and script. Because while Kane’s vision is mostly clear, the execution of this particular script stumbles.

Director Gren Wells crafts a tender, yet narratively unbalanced film that accentuates the gift that is Sadie Sink’s talent.

Saunders’ feature-length directorial debut is a confident one. With humor and heart, he writes and directs relevant themes and experiences that the world has come to understand well at this point in society. Dotty & Soul is genuine without being preachy, and humorous without leaning into offensive territory.

Though it runs out of steam during its second act, Butler and company do everything they can to keep the energy going, closing out the film with a well-earned bang.

While showing good potential overall, Kendrick’s directorial debut is hindered by tonal imbalances and poor editing.

Despite being flawed, though, Trap is thrilling at times and a ridiculous display of human behavior at others.

The film is certainly worth a watch simply for the music and the entertaining aspect of its storytelling.